Jang Dong-yoon Reflects on Directorial Debut with 'Nurook': A Journey of Respect and Responsibility

Jang Dong-yoon, who has taken on his first feature film directorial challenge with 'Nurook', expressed newfound respect for directors.

On the 13th, Jang Dong-yoon, the director of the film 'Nurook', was interviewed at a café in Samcheong-dong, Seoul. 'Nurook' tells the story of Dasul, a high school girl and daughter of a famous local brewery, who loves makgeolli. One day, she notices a change in the taste of makgeolli and sets out to find the missing yeast, leading to an intriguing adventure.

Jang candidly shared, "Honestly, while preparing for this, I felt like I took a step back from the profession of directing." He added, "The responsibility and pressure were much greater than when I was the lead actor. Everyone on set would ask me questions, and even though I didn't have all the answers, I had to pretend I did, which was mentally taxing." He also confessed, "The process of directing is painful from the preparation stage."

When asked about his future directing plans, Jang said, "I have no concrete plans or promises," but hinted at his desire to continue directing. He thoughtfully added, "If I get the chance to direct again, I want to ensure I have enough time to prepare thoroughly within a manageable scale."

His experience in directing has also influenced his perspective as an actor. Jang remarked, "My thoughts about the directors I've worked with have changed significantly. I realized I need to listen to the directors more carefully." He continued, "In the past, I only focused on my scenes from crank-in to crank-up, not understanding the director's responsibility for the entire project. I realized that directors are like people with an answer sheet in front of the monitor. I decided to follow their guidance more diligently." He humorously added, "I always thought I was pretty good at listening to directors."

'Nurook' is set to release on the 15th.

Reported by Kim Ji-won, TenAsia bella@tenasia.co.kr